On Tuesday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the list of 25 finalists that would be considered for enshrinement in 2016, a group that will be narrowed to 15 finalists in January and then trimmed a final time on the Saturday before the Super Bowl. And among the list of hopefuls were four players with ties to the Denver Broncos.
Steve Atwater was a hard-hitting safety for the team from 1989-98. During his 10 seasons in Denver, Atwater was selected to eight Pro Bowls and named All-Pro two times. He also appeared in three Super Bowls with the Broncos, including the teams back-to-back titles in 1997 and ’98.
Terrell Davis played for seven seasons with the Broncos, but the first four were the most-prolific. During that time, the running back was named to three Pro Bowls, earned All-Pro honors three times, was the league’s MVP in 1998 when he rushed for 2,008 yards, and was voted the MVP of Super Bowl XXXII.
John Lynch is best known for his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he did end his outstanding career with four solid seasons (2004-07) in Denver. During his tenure with the Broncos, the safety was voted to four Pro Bowls, increasing his total to nine.
Karl Mecklenburg was one of the most-versatile defensive players in NFL history, playing every position along the defensive line and at linebacker during his 12 seasons (1983-94) with the Broncos. During that time, the former 12th round pick earned six Pro Bowl trips and three first-team All-Pro honors.
For each hopeful, this isn’t their first time making it this far. In fact, it’s familiar territory:
Atwater was a semifinalist in 2012, ’13, ’14 and ’15.
Davis was a finalist in 2015.
Lynch was a finalist in 2014 and ’15.
Mecklenburg was a semifinalist in 2012, ’13, ’14 and ’15.
Here’s hoping the voting in January goes better for these all-time Broncos greats, as well as the election on Feb. 6 in Santa Clara. One of the greatest franchise in NFL history deserves more than four members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
